Wednesday, October 25, 2017

In a University of Pennsylvania study, dogs with hemangiosarcoma were treated with a compound derived from the Coriolus Versicolor mushroom, also known as the turkey tail mushroom due to its variegated, brown coloration and distinctive fan shaped growth pattern.

The Coriolus Versicolor mushroom, known commonly in Traditional Chinese Medicine as the Yunzhi mushroom (Turkey Tail Mushroom), has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years. Two compounds within the mushroom, Polysaccharide Krestin (PSK) and Polysaccharide Peptide (PSP), are believed to have immune-boosting properties. Over the past two decades, studies have indicated that PSP may also have a tumor-fighting effect. According to the Mayo Clinic, clinical trials with a combination of chemotherapy and PSK have been show to benefit patients with stomach and colorectal cancers. (PSK extract is approved for clinical use in Japan, further studies are required in the USA for FDA approval).

The University of Pennsylvania (UP) researchers studied dogs with naturally occurring hemangiosarcoma to see what effects the Yunzhi mushroom extract would have on their patients. Fifteen dogs who had been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma participated in the trial. Divided into three groups of five, each group received a varying dose — 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg/day. The dog owners were instructed to give their dog a capsule daily. The owners brought their dogs to UP’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital for follow-up visits on a monthly basis for blood sample testings and ultrasounds to determine the extent that tumors had developed or spread in the dogs’ bodies.

According to researcher Cimino Brown, “We were shocked! Prior to this, the longest reported median survival time of dogs with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen that underwent no further treatment was 86 days. We had dogs that lived beyond a year with nothing other than this mushroom as treatment.”

Not only had the dog’s survival times increased with the use of Turkey Tail, but unlike chemotherapy, there were no reported side effects. Dogs receiving the highest dosage, 100 mg/day, had the longest average survival time, however the difference in median survival times between dosages was not statistically significant. University of Pennsylvania intends to mount several more experiments with Tukey Tail Mushroom and canine hemangiosarcoma.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Extract Dosage

Dogs under 40 pounds ½ capsule (sprinkled on moist food or yogurt)

Dogs 40 pounds and over one capsule per day

Dogs over 100 pounds two capsules a day.

Side Effects

None have been noted in canines. Humans have experienced dark stools and darkening of the finger nails.